Kristi Timm has been with Bartholomew Funeral Home for four years now and is paving the way for women in the industry as she moves through mortuary school. Being a single mom of two, Deputy Coroner, and working at Bartholomew is a challenge, but one which she is happy to meet.
“The funeral home industry is pretty male dominated, so, being a woman in this industry is a big deal,” said Kristi. “I think women are naturally nurturing and compassionate and it is a thing which this field requires.”
Kristi is also glad to be able to provide a positive influence for her daughter as she comforts families through these difficult times in their lives.
“My daughter has come to work with me and seen what I do, and it is awesome that she can tell people this is what her mom does,” said Kristi.
This career path was not the one she would have expected, though. Doing lab work as a medical assistant for five years at a hospital, she came into contact with funeral directors from time to time. Her conversations with them piqued her curiosity for the field and when she heard about an opening at Bartholomew, she made the jump.
“I had never even been to a funeral before coming to Bartholomew,” explained Kristi. “I had always been curious about it, and I didn’t expect that I would end up in this job, but after I started, I really enjoyed it.”
When Kristi started mortuary school two years ago, it was with the goal of becoming a funeral director, but it has been a lot of hard work along the way.
“There is embalming theory, grief psychology, mortuary law, pathology, funeral merchandising, biology, and a practicum. One half of the practicum is meeting with families and learning arrangement procedures, and the other part of it is embalming,” Kristi said of the degree which also includes general anatomy, accounts, business law, and other general courses.
Kristi also had to take a break between classes for her newborn, but is happy to be on track once again.
As for what makes this field, and Bartholomew in particular, such a rewarding choice of work, Kristi has no doubts; it’s being there for people.
“Helping families in their time of need, whether the death is expected or traumatic, if we can be here for them and they know there is someone who will answer any question they will have. It makes all the difference,” Kristi explained.
It is never easy help those who are grieving during their time of need, but being able to provide some level of comfort to individuals is a driving force behind Kristi’s passion for the job.
“The one thing about families is that they are so overwhelmed, if you feel that something is going right, it is a comforting feeling. I have lost grandparents, our owner lost his father, we all know what it is like to need someone and we all want to be there for our families.”
This emphasis on treating those that come through their doors like family is something that is stressed at Bartholomew.
“Anything we can do to make this process easier for families; that is our goal. We’re like a family here. That is one thing that we’ve had from a lot of families that come in, they feel very welcome here and welcome by us as opposed to many larger funeral homes,” said Kristi.
Having lived in Valparaiso since 2000, Kristi loves being part of the community, especially after having moved around so much as a child.
“I definitely love the community aspect of it [Valpo]. I want my children to grow up here, my family moved away, but I can’t leave. If you can find a place you love, you’ll never want to leave.”
